Health Insurance while on AOS without Approved Immigrant Visa Petition

[SnowyDays 5]

I've seen a few comments about this here, but no concrete results. 
So I wanted to start a thread and discuss our experience - and see if anyone has any feedback/suggestions/similar experience. 

 

My spouse and I live in one of the 14 states listed in the DACA lawsuit (though we are in no way connected to DACA). 

The way Healthcare.gov is treating that,it appears we are not eligible for insurance through the exchange period (the subsidy is not a factor for us - we simply want to buy and pay for health insurance). 

(We are in AOS from a B2). 

 

 

 

We have spent several hours on the phone with two different insurance companies (a BCBS regional member, and a separate more regional insurance company).  In both cases they seem to be confused about the lawsuit and visa situation - they want a special enrollment period (which we do qualify for based on marriage) and proof of her visa (which as AOS from a B2... is messy).  Any the other 36 states this would not be a problem - the 797 is fine documentation.  But in the 14, it seems there is lots of confusion about whether we can even buy a policy at all??

Based on other comments here, I am pretty certain the same situation/problem would apply to a K1 AOS process at least before marriage?

 

If it comes down to it, I own a small business (solely owned and operated, no other employees) and can likely go about setting up a small business plan for myself (I currently have insurance personally instead of through the business) and adding her as spouse.  But I'd rather prefer to avoid that if possible - cost and complication

 

Any thoughts from anyone in similar situation?

[SnowyDays 5]

And for reference in case it helps someone else - here is the Healthcare.gov link about "confirm your immigration status"
https://www.healthcare.gov/help/how-do-i-resolve-an-inconsistency/#immigration

[Boiler 46,215]

You can buy Insurance, this seems to be about O Care?

[SnowyDays 5]

15 minutes ago, Boiler said:

You can buy Insurance, this seems to be about O Care?

Problem is that every one we speak to at insurance companies keeps using HealthCare.gov (O Care if you prefer) rules to say we cannot.  Specifically they want proof of visa because in 14 states in lawsuit the AOS (ie using 797 NOA as evidence of process) is no longer eligible.    Which is insane to me - as we have said a few times "we just want to buy insurance" without the exchange.

 

It is the same as a "special enrollment period" - even though this is not a problem for us, why should we need to provide that for non-exchange health insurance ??
It feels as if the Health Insurance industry has forgotten somehow about non exchange insurance?  I thought for sure that BCBS would be big enough to know what is going on, but they redirect us back to the exchange's rules about immigration status. 

 

 

Edited 12 hours ago by SnowyDays

[Boiler 46,215]

As far as I know the restrictions only apply to OCare, obviously this has been discussed on here before more in the context of a K1 but same deal for AOS from a B.

 

I suggest discussing this with a specialist Insurance Broker familiar with your State,

Edited 12 hours ago by Boiler

[SnowyDays 5]

32 minutes ago, Boiler said:

As far as I know the restrictions only apply to OCare, obviously this has been discussed on here before more in the context of a K1 but same deal for AOS from a B.

 

I suggest discussing this with a specialist Insurance Broker familiar with your State,

 

May be a case where we have to.  We have an application in with BCBS, so we will see whether they come back and cancel it or things go forward. 

I was flabbergasted when the agent looped back again to a qualifying event and "immigration status" - this was the third person we'd been transferred to because the first two levels did not know how to provide a policy without using the Exchange/OCare process (Note - this is calling directly to BCBS, and specifically stating that we want a policy without dealing with the Exchange/OCare).  The third level agent linked us directly to the Exchange immigration status list (which we already knew - but nice of them to link to it) and said they were not sure if we'd be required to provide that or not. 

[Lemonslice 4,980]

1 hour ago, SnowyDays said:

I've seen a few comments about this here, but no concrete results. 
So I wanted to start a thread and discuss our experience - and see if anyone has any feedback/suggestions/similar experience. 

 

My spouse and I live in one of the 14 states listed in the DACA lawsuit (though we are in no way connected to DACA). 

The way Healthcare.gov is treating that,it appears we are not eligible for insurance through the exchange period (the subsidy is not a factor for us - we simply want to buy and pay for health insurance). 

(We are in AOS from a B2). 

 

 

 

We have spent several hours on the phone with two different insurance companies (a BCBS regional member, and a separate more regional insurance company).  In both cases they seem to be confused about the lawsuit and visa situation - they want a special enrollment period (which we do qualify for based on marriage) and proof of her visa (which as AOS from a B2... is messy).  Any the other 36 states this would not be a problem - the 797 is fine documentation.  But in the 14, it seems there is lots of confusion about whether we can even buy a policy at all??

Based on other comments here, I am pretty certain the same situation/problem would apply to a K1 AOS process at least before marriage?

 

If it comes down to it, I own a small business (solely owned and operated, no other employees) and can likely go about setting up a small business plan for myself (I currently have insurance personally instead of through the business) and adding her as spouse.  But I'd rather prefer to avoid that if possible - cost and complication

 

Any thoughts from anyone in similar situation?

What kind of insurance do you currently have for yourself?